Archival Holdings

Government Records:The Provincial Archives of Alberta is the official repository for those records of the Government of Alberta, its corporations, agencies, boards, commissions and courts that are considered to be of enduring value to the institutions and citizens of the Province. The Provincial Archives' Government Records Program is part of the government-wide records management program. Records are transferred for final retention to the Provincial Archives after undergoing an appraisal by one of the Government Records Archivists and after final approval by the Alberta Records Management Committee. After public records are transferred to the Provincial Archives, Government Records Archivists describe them according to the national archival descriptive standard, the Rules for Archival Description. Reference services for the records are provided by Access Services and all inquiries should be directed to them.

Private Records:The Provincial Archives are a "total archives", not only preserving the documentary heritage of its corporate body, but also that of individuals, businesses, organizations and associations, and communities of Alberta. As such the PAA holds records pertaining to personal papers of individuals, business, religious, artistic, organizational, community and cultural life. Records at the PAA are useful for those interested in conducting research on a variety of topics including genealogy, resource development, the petroleum and natural gas industry, transportation, communication, agricultural and urban development, settlement, the field of science, manufacturing, the legal field, military, education, sports and cultural communities and organizations. Records from local public bodies, the MUSH Sector (Municipalities, Universities, Schools, and Hospitals), are also considered private records by the Provincial Archives of Alberta. These include the records of school boards, health care boards, post-secondary institutions, and municipalities. Though considered private records, records created in the MUSH sector may still be subject to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (FOIP) Act.